Who made the Xianrendong cave pottery?

Chinese archaeologists have recently found fragments of pottery in Xianrendong Cave, Jiangxi Province in China, that date back about 20,000 years. The archaeologists have assumed that Xianrendong pottery was produced by mobile foragers who hunted and gathered during the Late Glacial Maximum.

Why was the pottery of Xianrendong cave developed?

The occupations in the cave demonstrate that pottery was produced by mobile foragers who hunted and gathered during the Late Glacial Maximum. These vessels may have served as cooking devices. The early date shows that pottery was first made and used 10 millennia or more before the emergence of agriculture.

What is xianren?

xián rén. idle person idler unconcerned person.

Where in the world was the oldest pottery found?

China
Fragments of ancient pottery found in southern China turn out to date back 20,000 years, making them the world’s oldest known pottery — 2,000 to 3,000 years older than examples found in East Asia and elsewhere.

Where is the Xianrendong Cave in Jiangxi located?

Xianrendong Cave Xianrendong Cave is located at the foot of Xiaohe mountain, in Wannian county, northeast Jiangxi province of China, 15 kilometers (~10 miles) west of the provincial capital and 100 km (62 mi) south of the Yangtze river.

How old was the pottery in Xianrendong Cave?

The earliest pottery appears in the Xianrendong sequence in layers 2B and 2B1 in the east trench and layer 3C1B in the west trench. The radiocarbon dating shows that both of these early contexts date to ~20,000 to 19,000 cal yr B.P. (Tables 1 and 2).

What was the occupation of the Xianrendong people?

Four cultural strata have been identified at Xianrendong, including an occupation spanning the transition from Upper Paleolithic to Neolithic times in China, and three early Neolithic occupations.

Which is higher Xianrendong or diaotonguan rock shelter?

Located some 800 m (about 1/2 mile) from Xianrendong, and with an entrance some 60 m (200 ft) higher in elevation, is the Diaotonguan rock shelter: it contains the same cultural strata as Xianrendong and some archaeologists believe it was used as a campsite by Xianrendong’s residents.